


Atlas

by LittleLinor



Category: Cardfight!! Vanguard
Genre: BABY RYUZU IS REAL, Gen, kazumi just has a giant crush, the kurozumi is only implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-20 09:27:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14257986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLinor/pseuds/LittleLinor
Summary: Kazumi runs into Chrono and Ryuzu (quite literally)





	Atlas

**Author's Note:**

> This story is only vaguely next/z compliant. The whole conflict happened but not quite in the way it did in canon, although it doesn't show too much aside from some Ryuzu details and Chrono keeping his SG personality.
> 
> ANYWAY. BABY RYUZU IS IMPORTANT.

When Kazumi set out for the Dragon Empire branch that day, it had mostly been to have a few fun fights, and partly to hopefully see Mamoru—or some of Kazuma's friends. What he hadn't expected was to trip and almost fall over a small shape that, rather than lying in the way, apparently just threw itself at his legs.  
He righted himself at the last second, then looked down, only to find a small child—who, thankfully, had fallen down sitting, rather than hit his head on the ground.  
And then he looked up at Kazumi, and the tears that had been forming stopped as he smiled.  
“Mi!”  
“Ryuzu!”  
Kazumi looked back up, towards Chrono who was running towards them, looking honestly more panicked than he had when they were trying to save the world. He was about to wave a greeting, but Chrono dove right for Ryuzu and picked him up, checking him for scratches.  
“Are you okay?”  
Ryuzu only beamed at the two of them, and Chrono sighed, both relief and weariness.  
“Sorry,” he said, turning to Kazumi. “I didn't even say hello.”  
“It's fine, I understand. I'm sorry for tripping over him—although I think he literally threw himself at my legs.”  
Chrono smiled.  
“He likes you a lot. I swear,” he added, turning to Ryuzu with a sterner voice, “I look away for _five seconds_ and you're already gone. I should have a sign telling people not to ask me for information when I have a baby with me.”  
Kazumi chuckled.  
“You're a celebrity.”  
“I could do without it,” Chrono sighed, readjusting Ryuzu so he could sit more comfortably on his arm, safely held between arm and chest. “Anyway. What brings you here today?”  
“Nothing in particular. I had nothing to do and wanted to have a few casual fights… running into you is a nice surprise, though,” he added with his most charming smile. “I thought you might be working.”  
“I've been taking less hours,” Chrono answered. “Now that I don't have to worry about being stalked by destruction cults, I can spend more time with him again.”  
Kazumi blinked.  
“With Ryuzu?”  
Indeed, he'd seen Chrono with the kid often in the last few weeks, whether alone or in groups, with his friends or Dragon Empire staff. As far as he knew, Ryuzu was a ward of the association-run community home attached to Dragon Empire; Chrono had always been fond of children but it seemed strange for him to focus on just one like that.  
“Yeah,” Chrono answered, oblivious to his whirring brain. “When we found out about the diffriders, and then especially the apostles… it just wasn't safe to draw attention to him. And what if I got attacked while he was with me?”  
“That would be unfortunate indeed…” His mind kept running faster than he could control it. Chrono was still _young_ , but he was also very mature; he had a strong sense of responsibility, so it would make sense for him to take care of—but that same sense of responsibility made it unlikely he would make that kind of mistake—unless it hadn't been a mistake— “Chrono,” he blurted out before his self control could catch up with his mouth. “Are you and Ryuzu…”  
“Huh?”  
“I mean—forgive me for asking—is he yours?”  
“What do you— _what_?” he spluttered as he finally understood what Kazumi was asking.  
“I'm sorry—maybe that was inappropriate. I was just wondering—”  
“ _No_! I wouldn't—look, if I'd _somehow_ had a kid I wouldn't just put him in a community home and visit on the weekends! I already hated having to put _him_ in one.”  
Kazumi smiled, as reassuring as he could.  
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. Seeing you so involved was just—unusual. Although maybe not unusual for you, come to think of it. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.”  
“It's fine,” Chrono sighed as Ryuzu started playing with his hair. “I'm just—I want to be a father someday, but the idea of getting someone pregnant right now—especially if it was someone in my age group… that's scary.”  
“I understand,” Kazumi said, nodding. Even with his couple of years more, the not too subtle hints his family were giving him that he should think about finding a wife and having children fairly soon were making him uncomfortable. And Ryuzu was—Kazumi wasn't an expert on babies, but he looked maybe close to two years old. Chrono would have been fourteen or fifteen when he was born. A scary thought indeed. “The way you said you had to leave him there makes it sound like you _are_ his guardian, though.”  
Chrono sighed and looked away, a more serious, sad expression crossing his face for a fraction of second.  
“… it's complicated. I can't tell you everything about it—I don't want to talk about him over his own head like this, I'd rather tell him the full truth when he's old enough to hear it. But… long story short, he was put into my care. And I would've raised him myself if I had to, but… we talked it over with everyone, and decided it was better for everyone involved if I didn't take care of him alone. Including for him. And—if he decides he wants nothing to do with me in the future, it'll be easier if I'm not his guardian. So… we decided to make it a team effort. He gets a bigger family that way, too,” he added, a bittersweet smile stretching his lips.  
Kazumi was struck, not for the first time, with the feeling that there was something _old_ about Chrono. Not just maturity for his age, and not just experience, but something that ran deeper, something about who he _was_. Or maybe maturity and experience had just shaped him that way.  
Why little Ryuzu could someday come to hate him, though, he couldn't start to understand. But there was obviously something painful around the circumstances of his birth.  
“… I think he's very lucky to have you,” he said quietly. “As a guardian or otherwise.”  
Chrono's bittersweet expression was immediately washed away by a wave of red spreading across his cheeks.  
“I—thanks?”  
“I mean every word. I think you would make a good parent, but taking a role closer to a big brother is probably a good idea.”  
Chrono chuckled, almost a giggle.  
“Big brother, huh?”  
“From one to another.”  
“Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment. I know how much being one matters to you.”  
Ah. Right through the heart.  
“… indeed it does.” He looked down at little Ryuzu in Chrono's arms, who by now had stretched his neck a little to watch some people behind Chrono's shoulder. “… well… I might not know the full circumstances, but… if you'd allow me to be part of that family, I'd be honoured. I'm quite fond of him too, to be honest.”  
… maybe that was a little too forward. But thankfully, Chrono didn't fluster _too_ hard.  
“I—I mean—I'm not sure I'm the one to ask. Since I'm not legally his guardian and all.”  
“But you're his guardian in spirit, aren't you? And you seem very specific in what influences you'll allow near him. All those decisions you took… it looks to me like you were trying to create the best possible environment for him to grow.”  
Chrono sighed.  
“You don't know how right you are. But… I guess, yeah.”  
“So you're the one I want to ask. Official permission wouldn't mean much if you didn't want me around.”  
Chrono shook his head.  
“Of course I'd be happy to have you around. You're a friend—and he _likes_ you. I was kinda worried about him—he gets along with people but he wasn't really _bonding_ , except with his cards… it's nice to see him take to someone new.” He smiled, then. “I'd be happy if you came to play with him more often.”  
“I can do that. In fact—do you have permission to leave the Branch grounds?”  
“If I warn them first, yeah?”  
“Then would the two of you come talk a walk with me? We can stop at a café too—he's old enough to enjoy a small piece of cake, isn't he?”  
“As long as it's not too rich,” Chrono said automatically, and Kazumi knew that no matter what happened, Ryuzu would have a loving guardian indeed.


End file.
